Chapter 176
Chapter 176: Easing Her Majesty the Empress’s Worries
Public opinion kept growing louder and louder. The noise had already drifted away from the case itself.
It even alarmed the Emperor.
The Emperor asked his trusted eunuch attendant: “Who is fanning the flames behind the scenes? The case is not big, it is not even serious enough to be brought before the Dali Court, so why is the whole city talking about it?”
The eunuch said: “Some time ago, Her Majesty the Empress went to pray for blessings for the Eldest Prince, and everyone praised her. Right after that, her younger brother forced someone from the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s manor to death. People are probably tying those two things together.”
“The Empress is suffering misfortune for no reason,” the Emperor said.
He asked again: “How has the case been handled?”
The eunuch said: “The yamen runners sent to make the arrest were all bribed by Third Young Master Zheng, and they have confessed. Now the Prince Yong manor is demanding that the City Patrol Bureau bring out evidence and clear Young Master Luo’s name.”
“And the evidence?”
“There is none. The attendants who followed Third Young Master Zheng have all disappeared, neither seen alive nor found dead. The case cannot be closed, so the man has to stay locked up. That is why the people’s resentment is boiling over,” the eunuch said.
The Emperor pondered.
“Summon Prince Yong,” the Emperor said.
With the people’s anger at such a pitch, it might cause chaos, and that was not allowed.
Prince Yong might want to stand up for his wife’s family, but he also had to know when to stop.
Stability was what mattered most. No one could be allowed to break the peace and prosperity of Shengjing.
The Emperor was a little annoyed.
While the eunuch went to pass on the decree, Dali Court Vice Minister Wang Tang Yao came to request an audience.
The Emperor had a good impression of him.
Wang Tang Yao said: “Your Majesty, this is a deliberate attempt to smear Her Majesty the Empress and slander Madam Zheng. This humble subject is willing to share Your Majesty’s worries and Her Highness’s burden.”
“How will you do that?” the Emperor asked.
Wang Tang Yao said: “This wave of public opinion actually started in the markets and alleys. Your Majesty, the dispute between Zheng Xiao and Luo You happened near Chunshan Academy, and both of them come from meritorious noble households. If there were going to be waves, talk should have spread from the prestigious clans downward and only then reached the streets. But this time it is the other way around. Madam Zheng disdains buying information from the streets. From this, it is clear that it started with the Luo family and that they are the ones pushing it along.”
The Emperor said: “Your reasoning is reasonable enough. But Madam Luo is the victim. You want Me to investigate Madam Luo?”
The Luo family had lost a maidservant, and Luo You had been thrown into prison. The commoners might pity them or mock them, but either way, they did not feel anger toward that family.
Instead, it was Madam Zheng, bullying others with her power, who had stirred up all the resentment and fear the commoners of Shengjing felt toward the great clans.
The Emperor was happy to see the great clans being attacked. But when public opinion grew too strong, it was easy to lose control, and he also had to steady it. He was caught in the middle.
Wang Tang Yao said: “This humble subject is willing to help and find the source of it for Your Majesty. This humble subject will take all the blame. As long as Your Majesty allows this humble subject to make a big and open investigation, I will give Your Majesty an answer within five days.”
The Emperor pondered.
In his mind, he was still thinking about Prince Yong.
If he could seize on one mistake of Prince Yong’s and say that he had been stirring public opinion in the Capital City and speaking up for the Luo family, then the Censorate would have a chance to attack him.
The Emperor was about to agree to Wang Tang Yao when the trusted eunuch by his side gave him a meaningful look.
The Emperor said: “Vice Minister Wang, wait outside the door for now. Let Me think it over for a moment.”
Wang Tang Yao said yes.
After he withdrew, the trusted eunuch lowered his voice and said: “Your Majesty, you must not do this.”
The Emperor frowned at him.
[Could it be that even the eunuch he trusted most had been bought by Prince Yong?]
The Chief Eunuch said: “Your Majesty, since you ascended the throne, you have only granted three men the title of Lord Marquis. The Marquis of Zhen Nan is one of them. No matter why he was granted the reward, he received his title from you. Now Madam Luo is in the right. Are you really going to help others suppress Madam Luo? This Vice Minister Wang was born from the Marquis of Jian Ning’s manor and has some past entanglements with Madam Luo. Whether he is using this chance to take private revenge or really trying to share Your Majesty’s burden is hard to say.”
The Emperor’s heart gave a jolt.
He had almost forgotten that.
In Shengjing, there were more than twenty lords with the rank of Marquis, and only three had been granted their titles after he ascended the throne. Because Luo Chong Ye had no great ability, he was not much valued by the Emperor, and it was only because Luo Ning had saved the Empress Dowager that the noble rank had been granted. Even the Emperor himself had nearly forgotten that.
Thankfully, the Chief Eunuch reminded him.
If the Emperor let Wang Tang Yao suppress Madam Luo at this time, it would be like lifting a rock only to smash his own foot.
The loss would outweigh the gain.
The Emperor called Wang Tang Yao back in and scolded him a few times: “You must not be so ridiculous. Step down.”
Wang Tang Yao’s expression did not change. He bowed respectfully and withdrew, showing not the slightest sign of discouragement.
His nature was tough.
As he walked out of the Imperial Study, he was still thinking: [How did Your Majesty change his mind in such a short time? He was clearly a little tempted by my proposal just now.]
Wang Tang Yao had correctly guessed the Emperor’s wariness toward Prince Yong, and that was why he had made this suggestion.
[What did Eunuch Wu just say to Your Majesty? This Eunuch Wu is a bit tricky.]
He walked on slowly.
To ease Madam Zheng’s worries was to help the Empress out of her trouble. He should naturally do it without hesitation.
When Wang Tang Yao reached the Palace Gate, his attendant handed him an essay.
The attendant said: “It has already spread among the common folk. It was written by the scholarly youths of Lushan Academy, and they are petitioning on behalf of Luo You. This is their way of showing defiance toward the Imperial Court.”
The Imperial Court, and the Emperor in particular, had always cared a great deal about the opinions of scholarly youths.
Wang Tang Yao said: “No one even knows yet whether Luo You only injured someone or really killed someone. How could Lushan Academy stand up at this time?” He suddenly thought of the reason and said: “It must be Pei Ying.”
To the coachman he said: “Go to Grand Princess Jia Hong’s manor.”
He wanted to ask Pei Ying face to face.
The essay was very good, filled with quotes from the classics. It almost described Luo You as a loyal subject who valued feeling and righteousness above all, while painting Madam Zheng as a treacherous, evil sort.
Pei Ying admitted that he had written it.
Wang Tang Yao asked coldly: “Even if you have changed your mind, you cannot be so ruthless. You slandered Madam Zheng. How is Her Majesty the Empress supposed to face people?”
He was skilled in both civil and martial matters. Compared to the scholar Pei Ying, his presence was even more imposing.
His eyes were as cold as winter stars.
Pei Ying, suspecting he was about to make a move, took a step back and said: “I only speak of justice, not personal feelings. It was Third Young Master Zheng who started the trouble and forced Luo You’s maidservant to her death, while Luo You did nothing wrong.”
He added: “He has a loyal and righteous heart. If he can protect his own servants, he will surely be loyal to his monarch. There is nothing wrong with what I wrote.”
Wang Tang Yao said: “But public opinion is now blaming Her Majesty the Empress. She is already at her wits’ end. Why must you add to her troubles? Her Highness is the mother of the realm. Her reputation is what matters most.”
Pei Ying said: “The Duke of the Realm’s manor should take responsibility for itself. They should not shift the blame onto Her Majesty the Empress. This matter has nothing to do with the Empress.”
“When one prospers, all prosper. Her Highness is from the Zheng family. How can you say it has nothing to do with her?”
The two of them had a big quarrel.
The force of Wang Tang Yao’s presence made Pei Ying feel very uncomfortable.
At that moment, he felt that Wang Tang Yao was a bit like Prince Yong, Xiao Huai Feng: arrogant and overbearing, convinced that only his reasoning was true reasoning.
Pei Ying called loudly toward the door: “Someone, see the guest out.”
Wang Tang Yao flicked his sleeves and left.
The whole matter was turning into a complete mess.
The Duke of the Realm and Madam Zheng ordered people to tie Zheng Xiao up so they could escort him to the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s manor to apologize.
They were not yielding to the Luo family, but to the anger of the people.
If they kept making trouble, the street commoners might start throwing rotten eggs at the gate tower of the Duke of the Realm’s manor.
The Emperor would also seize the chance to suppress Madam Zheng. Officials of Madam Zheng’s faction in the Imperial Court Hall would be pushed aside and suffer heavy losses.
The Duke of the Realm, his wife, and Zheng Xiao, the three of them, set out for the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s manor. Behind them, Zheng Jia’er was so angry she stamped her foot.
“From now on, I’ll have to lower my head in front of Luo Ning!”